CHICO &GT;&GT; A 67-year-old man rented a gun at a south Chico shooting range and shot himself in the head with it Wednesday morning, according to the Chico Police Department.

The man, who has been identified only as a Chico resident, entered the Safer Arms Indoor Shooting Range at 2555 Dominic Drive, and killed himself inside the business, Lt. Dave Britt said on scene.

Police were notified of the shooting at approximately 10:35 a.m., but the man is said to have been inside the business for approximately 30 minutes.

Two business employees, who were the only other people inside Safer Arms at the time of the incident, told police the man rented a .44-caliber handgun to use in the facility. He was provided eye and ear protection, and a paper target, according to a Chico Police Department press release.

He then proceeded to the shooting range, which is on the west side of the building, and began target shooting. The man briefly left the range to get more ammunition, but then returned to continue shooting, Britt said.

The employees told police at one point they heard a gunshot that sounded different from the rest, which prompted an employee to check on the man.

Upon looking through glass and into the range, the employee saw the man was on the ground, face up, according to police. The employee rushed to help the man, but he did not get a response from the victim.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Friends had reportedly called the Chico Police Department within the last couple of weeks to request a welfare check on the man, Britt said. They stated that he had "suicidal tendencies."

Safer Arms closed its doors for the day, but stated through a Facebook post that it would open Thursday.

"Due to the tragic event that occurred on the range we will be closed for the remainder of the day," the company posted. "We hope to be open for business tomorrow at 10 a.m. Thank you for your understanding."

The Chico Police Department is still investigating the incident, but in a press release it stated that it appears to be a suicide.